Help wanted: 3 ways to minimize new-hire riskBy Catherine Iste Great news: Companies are hiring again. In fact, today's Labor Department numbers show unemployment in the U.S. falling to 6.3 percent — the lowest figure since September 2008. But with each new hire comes threats to the organization's integrity. From potential shifts in the culture with each new personality to actual security breaches and confidentiality of trade secrets, we invite potential threats in the door with each hiring decision. Most organizations hedge against these risks with steps in the recruiting process like behavioral interviews and background checks. Are these steps enough?

Pension funds and catastrophe bonds: What could possibly go wrong?Bloomberg BusinessweekPension funds, in particular, have moved into catastrophe bonds. Now fund managers are becoming irrationally exuberant about a high-yield risk that's fundamentally unlike any of their other investments. Pension funds and a novel risk: What could go wrong?

The status quo is risky, tooHarvard Business ReviewAre you ever frustrated by teammates who cling to the past while you try to introduce novel ideas or new strategies? If your ideas are met with choruses of "that will never work," "we can't take that risk," "let's just stick with the plan," your teammates are likely falling prey to a common decision making bias that former Rotman dean Roger Martin refers to as Underestimating the Risk of the Status Quo. If your team's strategy can be summed up by the English wartime slogan "Keep Calm and Carry On," you need some new approaches to tackle their resistance.

Breastfeeding in the workplaceInside CounselWhen an employee returns to work after giving birth, the employer must be mindful of the employee's rights to breastfeed or express breast milk in the workplace. In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act amended Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act to require covered employers to provide non-exempt, nursing mother employees "reasonable" break times to express breast milk. Employers must also provide a place of privacy for these breaks. Significantly, non-exempt employees do not have to be paid for any time spent taking these breaks, but employers should be conscious of a couple potential pitfalls.

Talent  a risk management essentialAmerican Banking JournalOne of the essential attributes of a strong risk culture is talent. It's important to make sure to have enough people with the right skills in the right roles to embed effective risk management in the bank's daily operations and strategic decision-making. Risk management skill requires both sound analysis and seasoned judgment — neither of which is in plentiful supply. So attracting and retaining talented risk managers is a challenge — and essential.

Has this economic recovery left common sense by the wayside?ForbesToday's post-crisis world is sprinkled with glimmers of economic hope as we witness positive upticks in the auto, retail and construction industries. Economic confidence is on the rise and consumer spending and borrowing are increasing. While we are seeing the fundamental changes of a recovery, less unemployment, a decreasing federal deficit, we have to remember – and operate – knowing we are not in a completely stable environment just yet. Both business owners and financial institutions need to continue to be disciplined in their approach to growth, and in some cases, that may mean a more conservative approach.

Experienced Insurance CounselMMM is a full service law firm with a strong national presence in insurance, corporate and regulatory matters. Our attorneys are experienced in all matters related to the industry from the creation of insurance companies and captives to liquidation of entities. We also represent an array of insurers/reinsurers in complex litigation and arbitration matters.

Investors embrace 'catastrophe bonds'The Wall Street JournalInsurance companies are taking advantage of the appetite for high-yielding debt by selling bonds that can force investors to help pay for the cost of natural disasters. With the U.S. hurricane season about a month away, insurers are issuing "catastrophe bonds" at the fastest clip since before the financial crisis.

Capitalizing on social media: Avoiding the legal pitfallsReal BusinessThe level of content generated is ever-increasing; every minute sees 293,000 statuses updated on Facebook and 546,000 tweets on Twitter. Social media opens the door to new opportunities for customer engagement, marketing and recruitment. However, these opportunities also bring legal risks and uncertainties. The following examines some of the legal issues to be aware of when using social media for your business.

Minimize the impact of risk with a RMIS that delivers the right information to the right people, to enable real time and predictive analysis at the right time. Let JDi Data create a risk management system that gives your business a new approach to governance, risk & compliance. 954-938-9100 MORE

Aon revisits underrated exposuresBusiness InsuranceA re-examination of findings from Aon P.L.C.'s 2013 "Global Risk Management Survey" that polled captive insurance company directors reveals concerns that risk managers might be underrating significant exposures. The new report saw Aon questioning executive and nonexecutive directors of captives it manages about some of the findings in last year's survey.

Keep privilege in mind while drafting crisis management planBloomberg BNAWhether the crisis is a scandal involving a top executive or a product recall, companies must carefully consider the role public relations will play in mitigating the damage. Company reputation will be on the line, along with attorney-client and work-product privileges. Corporate counsel needs to make sure their companies have management plans in place, and that they rehearse how they would handle various situations.